types and breeds of horses

• draft horses

• Light horses

• Gaited horses

• Warm blood horses

• Ponies

Types of horses

Draft horses

• Bred to carry and pull heavy loads over twice their weight for short distances

• Tall, strong and heavy, weigh over 1600 lbs. and stand over 16 hands tall

• Freight hauling to carrying armored soldiers, they were the trucking industry, tractors and heavy haulers of the pre-modern era

• Calm even temperament and level headed attitude (cold blood)

  • Examples are Percheron, Suffolk, Belgian, Shire and Clydesdale (made famous by Budweiser Anheuser Busch)

Percheron

Suffolk

Belgian

Shire

Clydesdale

Light horses

• bred for speed, agility, endurance and riding

• used for every form of riding, from pleasure riding, to racing and ranch work

• vary greatly in height, weight, build and color

• bred to be used under saddle

  • examples are American Quarter horse, Rocky Mountain horse, Pintos, Polo ponies and Morgans • some light horses considered hot blood as well: high energy, easily excitable and fleet footed • examples are Arabians, Andalusians and Thoroughbreds

American quarter horse

Rocky mountain horse

Polo ponies

Pinto horse

Morgan

Equus ferus przewalskii

Arabian

Andalusian

Thoroughbred

Gaited horses

• light horses bred for riding but best known for their exceptionally smooth ride

• three gaits walk, trot and gallop plus pace, running walk, fox trot, rack and slow gait

• "gentleman's horse" ', used for generals, officers, plantation owners and men of wealth

• prized for their show ring flair and smooth pleasure riding on the trail

Skeio-pace horse

Icelandic horse

Warm blooded horses

• middle weight horses created by cross of cold blood draft horse and a hot blood light horse; resulted in best of both worlds

• tall, strong, athletic horse with sensible attitude and plenty of get-up-and-go

• dominate dressage, jumping, harness and equestrian Olympic sports

  • examples are Dutch Warmblood, Hanoverian, Selle Francaise, Trakehner and Holsteiner

Dutch warmblood

American warmblood

Canadian warmblood

Australian warmblood

Hanoverian

Selle francaise

Trakehner

Holsteiner

Ponies

• horse that measures less than 14.2 hands (14 in Australia)

• incredibly versatile horses

• bred to do virtually everything imaginable

• used for pulling, packing, harness, jumping, plowing and even ranch work

  • examples Welsh Mountain Pony, Icelandic Pony, Shetland Pony and Hackney Pony

Welsh ponies

Shetland ponies

Hackney pony

Miniature ponies

Non horse types of family

• related to horses and can be interbreed with horses but are not horses themselves

• examples are donkeys, zebras and mules

• wild ass is untamed version of domesticated donkey

• pound for pound donkeys much stronger than horse; original beast of burden; sturdy, sure-footed and easy to keep

• mule is cross between horse and donkey; very strong, agile animal; they are pack animals used to pull freight; growing popularity as riding animals

• a male donkey is a jack, a female is a jennet

• asses are commonly known as donkeys, burros or jackstock

• zebras are wild non-domesticated equine; difficult to train for riding under saddle

• zebra-horse cross is a zorse; sterile like a mule

Donkey

Mules

Zebra

Zorse

Breed

• Common origin

• Possess certain well-fixed, distinctive, uniformly, transmitted characteristics not common to other horses

• Measured in hands

• Hand = 4 inches

• Taken from top of withers to the ground

Height of horse